


Formalising the Inevitable

by JaneDoh7



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Agents of SHIELD, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 03:58:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14072403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneDoh7/pseuds/JaneDoh7
Summary: Set some time after 5x12. What's in a name?





	Formalising the Inevitable

Fitz reached out, grabbing Jemma’s hand as it hovered over the paper, and leaned towards her conspiratorially.

‘You do realise there is no turning back once you do this?’ He raised one eyebrow, as though emphasising the seriousness of his claim, before a cheeky grin broke the facade.

Jemma smiled back in response, closing the few inches left between them to kiss him chastely on the lips. ‘Then I had better hurry before the universe intervenes.’

Fitz let his hand slip from hers, watching as the pen descended onto the document on the table. 

Her penmanship was average, yet it was still one of the most wonderful things he had seen in his life: the words _Jemma Fitz_ flowing from her fingers. He couldn’t help the shuddering breath as he watched her signing her new name. 

She hesitated a few moments, the pen tentatively holding on to the last letter, as though waiting for the alteration to dry into permanency.

She turned to Fitz, silently staring into his blue eyes to seek his approval. But he seemed somewhat troubled, which puzzled her. She knew her writing wasn’t the most refined, but he had seen it enough times since their Academy days that she expected it to be engrained in his psyche. ‘Is it not what you envisaged?’

He looked at the page, then back to her expectant face. ‘It’s a bit…’ he mulled over how best to explain his feelings, before settling on: ‘…abrupt.’

Her brow furrowed slightly at his words. She had spent so much of her life scribbling down information hurriedly, that elegant script had always taken a back seat. 

Fitz could see her concern, his heart sinking at the thought of ruining the moment. ‘No, wait, I just mean.’ He chewed at his bottom lip self-consciously. ‘I didn’t think this would be something we needed to discuss. I just thought we were on the same page with this.’

Jemma swallowed deeply. It was a rare occurrence, not being in synch with one another. Then again, they had had their fair share of misunderstandings, so the trend continuing into married life shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

‘Here, let me show you mine,’ he said, taking the pen from her hand. ‘It will give you an idea of what I had envisioned.’

His first name flowed quickly and he paused slightly before continuing with his surname. The capitalized eff was more elaborate than hers, and the following three letters blended seamlessly, indicative of a practised hand. The pen lifted briefly, before a flurry of other letters followed: s,i,m,m,o,n,s. The pen then hung forgotten in his hand as he looked at her questioningly. 

And although it was something she had heard countless times, she only now realised that she had never seen it in writing: Fitzsimmons.

She blinked a few times, committing the image to memory. Not just Fitzsimmons: _Leopold Fitzsimmons_.

‘Really?’ She could feel her lashes dampening as unanticipated emotion washed over her.

‘Of course.’ He looked at her determinedly, as though the mere thought of an alternative was an insult. 

She marvelled at the humbleness of her new husband; that his gestures encompassed all the things he was too shy to say in his vows. And, yet again, his thoughtfulness contradicted the claim he had made during their ceremony: that he didn’t deserve her. If only he knew how many times she had believed it to be the other way round. 

She gravitated towards him then, capturing his mouth in a kiss that spoke volumes, negating the need to verbalise her gratitude. Besides, nothing she could say would portray the depth of her devotion as effectively as the way she moved her lips against his, and cradled his face with such reverence. 

Her lips broke away from his after a few moments, but her fingers lingered in rebellion, still enamoured by the contact. 

‘No turning back?’ She echoed his earlier words with a slight inflection, giving him one final chance to repeal his action.

He shifted forward, until his forehead came to rest against hers. ‘Never.’

Jemma let her hand graze over the fine stubble on his jaw before picking up the pen again, elaborating on her previous signature. She lay the pen down, and took a deep breath as her eyes switched between his and her new names, side by side. 

Fitz reached over, intertwining his fingers with her own. The squeeze of his hand was almost imperceptible, but the sensation radiated through her soul. Finally, it felt like the universe was in balance. 

‘Let’s be honest, it’s basically been that way for years,’ Fitz said, a smirk curling the edge of his lips. ‘We’re just making it official.’


End file.
